This invention relates to nasal packing made from sponge-like materials that are expansible from a dry state to form soft, resilient, absorbent bodies.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,732,697, Ryan discloses a medicated, compressed sponge that is adapted for insertion into the nose, and that swells into contact with the irregular surface portions of the nasal cavity, when moistened. Similarly, Stevens U.S. Pat. No. 2,179,964, Kriwkowitsch U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,125, Gottschalk U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,494, Doyle U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,030,504, 4,646,739, and Des. 287,880, Rangaswamy U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,326, Brennan U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,280, and Sweden Patent No. 220,978 provide nasal hemostats and the like. Medical, catamenial, and like devices are disclosed in the following United States patents: Gearon U.S. Pat. No. 1,537,992, Munro U.S. Pat. No. 2,110,962, Robell U.S. Pat. No. 2,499,414, McLaughlin U.S. Pat. No. 2,739,593, Maro et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,689, Penska U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,294, Crockford U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,544, Burnhill U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,414, Davis et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,385, and Hirschman U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,561, and in Canada Patent No. 550,047 and France Patent No. 718,042.
Efficient hemostasis, such as after septal, sinus, or rhinoplastic surgery, or to abate nasal hemorrhage, requires the application of gentle pressure to ruptured major arteries and blood vessels over substantially all parts of the nasal cavity. It is not believed that the hemostatic devices provided heretofore function entirely adequately in those respects.